Deep Background with Noah Feldman

Today we're bringing you an episode of another Pushkin podcast: Risky Business with Nate Silver and Maria Konnikova. A show about making better decisions. Today, Maria has lessons from a poker tournament she recently played in Monte Carlo, where she made it to the final table. Then, Nate discusses what RFK Jr.'s impressive polling numbers could mean for Biden and Trump. And Nate and Maria discuss Caitlin Clark and what her story tells us – or doesn't – about the gender pay gap.  Listen to Risky Business wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Happiness Lab's Dr. Laurie Santos brings together other Pushkin hosts to mark the International Day of Happiness. Revisionist History's Malcolm Gladwell talks about the benefits of the misery of running in a Canadian winter. Dr. Maya Shankar from A Slight Change of Plans talks about quieting her mental chatter. And Cautionary Tales host Tim Harford surprises everyone with the happiness lessons to be learned from a colonoscopy. Hear more of The Happiness Lab HERE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It can be tough to start a business. And if you're a young family on the brink of the birth of your first child, it can be even tougher. Yet George and Margarita Rivera did it anyway. When George came home and told Margarita he quit his job to start his own electric company, she had apprehensions. Could they keep their family afloat while starting this new company?    Join Ben and Tanya as they chat with the founders of Doc Watts Electric about those first rocky months. Discover how they built a company as they built their family, learned the tools of the trade while learning how to run a successful business— and avoided their competitor's mistakes by looking to the future. These are The Unshakeables.    The Unshakeables is brought to you by Chase for Business and Ruby Studio by iHeartMediaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When a Dutch crime reporter makes an unbelievable discovery, a small-town murder case begins to look like an international assassination plot. Enjoy this episode from Hot Money: The New Narcos, a podcast from Pushkin Industries and the Financial Times.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To deploy responsible AI and build trust with customers, businesses need to prioritize AI governance. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell and Laurie Santos discuss AI accountability with Christina Montgomery, Chief Privacy and Trust Officer at IBM. They chat about AI regulation, what compliance means in the AI age, and why transparent AI governance is good for business. Visit us at: https://www.ibm.com/smarttalks/ Explore watsonx.governance: https://www.ibm.com/products/watsonx-governance This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While Andrea Rubin lay unconscious and severely burned after a car fire, her father told doctors to do everything they could to keep her alive. She would need many surgeries. Her quality of life wouldn't be the same. Her friends were outraged. They told doctors that Andrea would not want to live that way. While Andrea was being kept alive on a ventilator, her loved ones fought about what would be best for her. In this episode, we explore how medical decisions are made for patients who are incapable of deciding for themselves. Enjoy this episode from playing god? Show notes:In addition to Andrea Rubin, this episode features interviews with:Jeffrey Kahn, Andreas C. Dracopolous Director of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics Monica Gerrek, Co-director of the Center for Biomedical Ethics at MetroHealth System (where Andrea was treated) You can learn more about Andrea's case here.  A similar case to Andrea's happened in the 1970s. A man named Dax Cowart repeatedly asked doctors to let him die after suffering severe burns. But the doctors continued to treat him against his wishes. Here's an interview with Mr. Cowart ten years after his accident, where he talks about his experience with the Washington Post. Dr. Gerrek wrote a paper comparing the two cases, and showing how medical decision making for severe burn patients has evolved over the past 50 years.  For further reading about medical decision making and patient autonomy, visit the Berman Institute's episode guide.  The Greenwall Foundation. Making bioethics integral to decisions in healthcare, policy and research. Learn more at greenwall.org. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Major breakthroughs in artificial intelligence research often reshape the design and utility of AI in both business and society. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell and Jacob Goldstein explore the conceptual underpinnings of modern AI with Dr. David Cox, VP of AI Models at IBM Research. They talk foundation models, self-supervised machine learning, and the practical applications of AI and data platforms like watsonx in business and technology. Visit us at: https://www.ibm.com/smarttalks/ Learn more about watsonx: https://www.ibm.com/watsonx This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As businesses adopt AI, a new era of problem-solving, innovation, and creative decision making can be brought to scale. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell and Jacob Goldstein explore the future of AI for business with Kareem Yusuf, Senior Vice President of Product Management and Growth for IBM Software. They discuss the advent of foundation models, how AI can transform data storage and decision making, and how next-generation AI platforms like watsonx from IBM can empower businesses to use AI at scale. This is a paid advertisement from IBM. Visit us at ibm.com/smarttalksSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seven stocks are powering the market: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla. How will they do in the second half of this year? Ethan Wu hosts as Rob ‘Value This' Armstrong takes on Elaine ‘The Lex Flex' Moore. In three rounds they pick their winners for the second half of 2023, and tell us why they chose them. If you enjoyed this preview of the new podcast Unhedged, subscribe to the show now: https://apple.co/478A3VSSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to a sneak peek of the latest Talk Easy episode where New York Times reporter Astead Herndon joins Sam Fragoso for a candid examination of news media in 2023: where the Times falls short, lessons learned (and not learned) since 2016, and how he sees his podcast The Run-Up is a kind of corrective to contemporary political reporting. If you want to hear more, subscribe to Talk Easy: https://apple.co/talkeasySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a historic 355 days in orbit, NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei returned to Earth on March 30, 2022, breaking the record for the longest single spaceflight by an American. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell and Mark Vande Hei discuss conducting experiments in space, the impact of extended spaceflight on humans, and the spiciness of space chili peppers. This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This excerpt from Pushkin's new audiobook, The January 6 Tapes, features lawyer and legal analyst Preet Bharara's thoughtful breakdown of the January 6 Select Committee Hearings. The only compilation of the actual hearings, this audiobook is filled with the riveting testimonies that will define history. Go buy yourself a copy at pushkin.fm, Audible, Apple Books, Spotify or anywhere audiobooks are sold.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of her American history podcast The Last Archive, Noah Feldman's colleague Jill Lepore offers an alternate history. What would the world might be like if, fifty years ago, in 1972, Americans had an amendment to the U.S. Constitution granting not only protection–but representation–to the natural world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here's a preview of a new podcast from Pushkin Industries, Story of the Week with journalist Joel Stein. On Story of the Week, Joel chooses an article that fascinates him, convinces the writer to tell him about it, and then interrupts a good conversation by talking about himself. Sometimes the story will be the one everyone is talking about, like the New Yorker article on smoking hallucinogenic toads. Other times we'll find a story you might have missed, like the one in the Verge about the rock groupie turned hacker who had huge corporations at her mercy. These are stories you'll tell your friends about. Stories that stick with you long after you forget whatever headline you just doom-scrolled through. Listen to Story of the Week at https://podcasts.pushkin.fm/sotw?sid=deepSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sharing a preview of the new season of Revisionist History, Malcolm Gladwell's podcast about things misunderstood and overlooked. This season, Malcolm is obsessed with experiments – natural experiments, scientific experiments, thought experiments. This month, you'll hear a saga about self-sacrifice. Plus, Malcolm offers a mea culpa for an unintended consequence of his book Outliers. You can hear more Revisionist History at https://link.chtbl.com/rhs7part2.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sharing a new Pushkin show, Legacy of Speed. When two Black sprinters raised their fists in protest at the 1968 Olympic Games, it shook the world. More than 50 years later, the ripple effects of their activism are still felt. Host Malcolm Gladwel tells the stories of the runners who took a stand, and the coaches and mentors who helped make them fast enough — and brave enough — to change the world. In this episode, we hear how coach Bud Winter took what he learned from working with fighter pilots in World War II and created a system for training sprinters at San Jose State. His “Relax and Win” methods used breathing, visualization and other unconventional coaching techniques to create a powerhouse track program. Another thing that made him unique at the time? His focus on recruiting Black athletes to a mostly white school. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sharing a preview of Hot Money, a new podcast from Pushkin and our friends at the Financial Times. When FT reporter Patricia Nilsson started digging into the porn industry, she made a shocking discovery: Nobody knew who controlled the biggest porn company in the world. Now, Nilsson and her editor, Alex Barker, have figured out who the guy was, and much more. Their reporting reveals a shadowy power structure that includes billionaires, tech geniuses and the most powerful finance companies in the world.  You can hear more Hot Money episodes at https://link.chtbl.com/dbhotmoney. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sharing an episode of Pushkin's newest podcast: Getting Even with Anita Hill. On the show, author, lawyer, and feminist icon Anita Hill tackles tough questions about equality and what it takes to get there. She talks with guests on the frontlines of improving our imperfect world and finding solutions. In dynamic, thought-provoking interviews, Hill's guests reveal stories of breaking the rules, going off script, and forging their own path to equality. In this episode, Anita talks to Sukari Hardnett. When Hill testified about being sexually harassed by Clarence Thomas before the 1991 Senate Judiciary committee, Hardnett wanted to offer her own testimony against Thomas. But she was blocked from doing so. For the very first time, they speak about Hardnett's experience being excluded from the historic hearing and how it impacted both her life, and our country. Listen to more episodes of Getting Even at https://link.chtbl.com/deepbackgroundanita.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

This week, we're sharing an excerpt of Michael Lewis' new audiobook. Michael published his first book, "Liar's Poker," in 1989. It's about his time as a bond salesman on Wall Street — and it was a runaway best seller. For the first time, Pushkin is releasing an unabridged audiobook edition, read by Michael himself. Incorporating Pushkin's signature sound design, scoring, archival tape and Michael's incredible insight – this new edition of Liar's Poker perfectly captures an era of greed, gluttony and outrageous fortune. But it is also the story of how young Michael Lewis became a writer and launched a storied and celebrated career. Download the audiobook today at pushkin.fm/liarspoker and receive an exclusive listener's guide featuring additional commentary from Michael, the producers and editors of Liar's Poker as well as photos from Michael's personal archives. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Harvard epidemiologist and recurring guest Marc Lipsitch discusses what we can learn from omicron surge. Lipsitch also addresses some common omicron myths and discusses the possibility of a “master vaccine.”  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Zachary Karabell, financial executive and historian, discusses his recent book Inside Money: Brown Brothers Harriman and the American Way of Power, outlining the formation of American capitalism told through the history of one often-overlooked bank. He explains how the evolution of trust in financial systems has shaped American capitalism today and informs where it could go in the future. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Jamal Greene, co-chair of the Facebook Oversight Board, an independent governing body reviewing Facebook's content moderation decisions and issuing binding rulings, explains the inner workings of the Board. Greene is the Dwight Professor of Law at Columbia Law School, where he focuses on constitutional law and American federal courts.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Erik Voorhees, founder of crypto management platform ShapeShift, makes a case for decentralized autonomous organizations, known as DAOs. Earlier this year, ShapeShift became a DAO, “moving from a centralized, closed-source application with bank accounts, governed and owned by shareholders, to a decentralized, open-source application without bank accounts, governed and owned by holders of the FOX Token.” Voorhees explains how DAOs works could reshape business, economics, and politics. .  Read Erik Voorhees' Medium post about moving to a DAO structure here:  https://erikvoorhees.medium.com/shapeshift-is-decentralizing-639bb4c82fc8 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Hannah Kain, CEO of supply chain management company Alom, shares her analysis of how we got into the supply chain crisis and the larger story it reveals about trade wars, labor shortages, and the need for better automation systems.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Political strategist and media commentator James Carville shares his frank concerns about the Democratic party's strategy and leadership. Carville discusses the risks of party disunity in this crucial time, the false equivalency of the far left and right, and why the Democratic party needs better salespeople.  Harvard political scientist Theda Skocpol's 2021 report on political organizing in Georgia and North Carolina can be read here. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Description:  Jason Feifer, editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine, discusses the complicated role of revenue in publishing, especially in the world of business media. He also gives a surprisingly frank look at how Entrepreneur Magazine leans into non traditional practices to balance reader' interest with the magazine's revenue model. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Katie Worth, investigative reporter and author of the new book Miseducation: How Climate Change Is Taught in America, reviewed science textbooks from all fifty states and travelled the country interviewing teachers and students to compile a narrative about how climate change is being taught in American public schools.  She joins Noah to discuss the partisan divide in climate change education, the lobbying forces shaping curriculum around the country, and challenge of balancing students' right to learn the facts with teachers' values and opinions. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Presenting: An Excerpt from Miracle And Wonder: Conversations With Paul Simon by Malcolm Gladwell and Bruce Headlam. Download the audiobook today at miracleaudiook.com and receive an exclusive listener's guide pdf featuring additional commentary from Bruce, the producers and editors of Miracle and Wonder. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Jill Louise Busby, a former “woke influencer” with the handle @JillisBlack, opens up about examining her own complicity and calling bullshit on herself. She also discusses performative social media practices, having conversations across cultural lines, and the bounds of cancel culture. Bubsy's book, Unfollow Me: Essays on Complicity, is out now. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

The Broken Constitution is a miniseries by Unknown History from Quick and Dirty Tips and Pushkin Industries. In this final bonus episode, Noah Feldman explains the contradictions and calculations Lincoln made as he drafted The Emancipation Proclamation and the long-term implications of Lincoln's decision to break and remake the US Constitution.    Noah's Feldman's book, The Broken Constitution: Lincoln, Slavery, and the Refounding of America, is out now. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Esports, the industry of competitive, entertainment-style video game play, is rapidly growing and redefining the gaming industry. Its popularity also raises questions about the future of sports entertainment more broadly. Nicole LaPointe Jameson, CEO of the esports company Evil Geniuses, explains the industry and its potential. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

The Broken Constitution is a miniseries by Unknown History from Quick and Dirty Tips and Pushkin Industries. In this second of three bonus episodes, Noah Feldman explains the decisions Lincoln made when he took office that effectively broke the US Constitution in hopes of preserving the nation.  Noah's forthcoming book, The Broken Constitution: Lincoln, Slavery, and the Refounding of America, is out November 2. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Michele Roberts, executive director of the NBA Players Association, discusses how power is negotiated between NBA players and the league. She also comments on the rise of player activism and gives an inside perspective on recent NBA negotiations including the conditions of “the bubble” and the decision not to mandate COVID vaccinations. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

The Broken Constitution is a miniseries by Unknown History from Quick and Dirty Tips and Pushkin Industries. Over three bonus episodes, Noah Feldman talks about how Abraham Lincoln needed to break the Constitution in order to remake it. In this first episode, Noah explains why the US Constitution was built on a compromise that Lincoln devoted himself to preserving. Noah's book, The Broken Constitution: Lincoln, Slavery, and the Refounding of America, is out November 2 wherever books are sold. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Author Michael Pollan discusses the psychedelic powers of plants and the history of how humans have harnessed, ignored, and controlled these powers. He also discusses his prolific career and his most recent book, This is Your Mind on Plants. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Dr. David Rabin, neuroscientist, PhD psychiatrist and Medical Director of the Apollo Clinic, explains the ongoing research in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, including the mechanisms and risks associated with psychedelic-assisted mental health treatments. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Writer Mark Oppenheimer spent the last few years documenting the recovery of Pittsburg's Squirrel Hill neighborhood, a historic Jewish neighborhood and site of the 2018 Tree of Life Synagogue mass shooting. Oppenheimer discusses the history of Squirrel Hill, the lasting impacts of the attack, and what it means for American Jewish life today.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

The process of approving booster shots for the COVID-19 vaccines in the US has been particularly fraught. Last week, two well-respected medical journals published contradictory conclusions regarding the use of vaccine boosters. Dr. Genevieve Kanter joins Deep Background to make sense of the existing research and weigh in on the booster approval process. Dr. Kanter is an economist and Research Assistant Professor in the University of Pennsylvania Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy. Her research focuses on the regulation of biomedical technologies, industry influence in medicine, and statistical methods used for causal inference.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

As we start a new school year, Tamar Gendler, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Yale, explains her vision for distributing power at Yale and the questionable future of America's university system. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Matthew Barzun, a political fundraiser and diplomat who served as US Ambassador to the United Kingdom, explains his collectivist method of generating power, even on deeply divided issues. Barzun's latest book is “The Power of Giving Away Power: How the Best Leaders Learn to Let Go.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Dr. Susan Philip, Health Officer for the City and County of San Francisco and the Acting Director of the Population Health Division of the San Francisco Department of Public Health, weighs in on vaccine mandates, mask mandates, and what the new normal is starting to look like in San Francisco.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Emile Simpson, a military expert and veteran of the war in Afghanistan, discusses the end of the war in Afghanistan and the Taliban's recent takeover. Simpson outlines the strategic failures that contributed to the current situation and comments on the United States's responsibility to evacuate allied Afghans.  Simpson is a former British Army officer who completed three tours in southern Afghanistan. He's the author of the book, War From the Ground Up: Twenty-First Century Combat as Politics. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com